The boy flew from Prague (the Czech Republic) to Istanbul (Turkey) on Flight 1770 on March 14, and from Istanbul to Vietnam on Flight TK162 on March 15 - the same flight as the 83rd patient.

Upon entry, he showed no symptoms and was transferred to a concentrated quarantine centre at the Military School of Military Zone 7 in HCM City’s District 12. His test on March 18 turned up negative for SARS-CoV-2 that causes the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the test result on March 27 was positive. Currently, the boy is being treated at the hospital for COVID-19 in Can Gio district, HCM City.

Earlier, nine people were confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2 that causes the COVID-19 pandemic on March 30 evening.

Among the new patients, seven, aged 41, 34, 53, 57, 61, 23 and 57, are female employees of Truong Sinh Ltd., Co and work at the canteen of Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital.

Another patient is a 41-year-old man in Hanoi’s outskirts district of Thanh Oai who visited the centre for tropical diseases of the Bach Mai Hospital on March 12 and tested positive for the virus on March 29.

All of the eight patients are under treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No. 2 in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district, and in stable health condition.

The other is a 35-year-old Vietnamese woman who boarded flight TK162 from Greece after transiting in Turkey to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17.

Upon entry, she was sent to a concentrated quarantine facility in Nha Be district in the city. Her samples, sent to the city's Hospital for Tropical Diseases on March 27, were confirmed positive.

She is being treated at the hospital for COVID-19 in Can Gio district, HCM City.

Foreign press hails Vietnam’s efforts in COVID-19 fight

Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital is considered the biggest and most complex hotbed of COVID-19 in Vietnam at present.

The relentless efforts by the Vietnamese Government and people in the fight against COVID-19 over the recent past have been recognised many newspapers and experts around the world.

The US’ New York Times posted an article on March 27 saying: “Even though Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's poorer countries, its efforts against the virus, praised at home, have ensured its tally of infections is lower than those in many of its neighbours.”

The article mentioned prompt and effective measures that the Vietnamese Government is applying such as limiting domestic flights, stopping public gatherings for two weeks from March 28, and quarantining more than 57,000 to avoid the spread of the coronavirus in the community.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Deutsche Welle recently ran an article on Vietnams "war" on coronavirus, analysing factors that have helped the Southeast Asian country successfully curb the outbreak so far such as applying a widespread system of public surveillance and mobilising the military to the effort.

The government has described the combat as the fight against an enemy and called for the engagement of all people, it said.

The Philippines’ Rappler newspaper quoted the UK’s Financial Times as saying Vietnam has proved itself as a model in the work with limited resources but determined leadership.

The Diplomat carried a story, saying when the coronavirus began to rage the country in early January, the Vietnamese Government quickly responded and has deservedly gotten praise for doing so.

“The reasons for Vietnam’s robust response to COVID-19 are varied. But among the factors is leadership,” the article said, adding that for instance, the decision of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to stop all events, activities and gatherings of more than 20 people in the country was viewed as a definitive and firm move.

Other newspapers such as the UK’s Evening Standard and Reuters, Russia’s Komsomolskaya Pravda, and Canada’s National also posted stories relating to Vietnam’s moves to fight the pandemic./.